


All Is Fair In Love And Cupcakes

by glassandroses



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Baker Cassian, Bakery, Cupcakes, F/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:41:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23403919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glassandroses/pseuds/glassandroses
Summary: Nesta Archeron’s daily routine is thrown off-kilter when the bakery she favors is out of red velvet cupcakes, her favorites. Luckily, the baker on shift, Cassian, has a solution.
Relationships: Nesta Archeron/Cassian
Kudos: 25





	1. All Is Fair In Love And Cupcakes

Punctual. That was one word he used to describe the woman. She always wore a formal work dress and heels and always had her hair tied up in some way. She would walk in at 9 AM sharp, her presence announced by the chiming bells hung above the door. He would take her order, which would be the same every time. One vanilla and one red velvet. Consistent. He would give her the box of cupcakes, and she would thank him with a wave. Then she was out the door, not to be seen again by him until the next morning.

This morning, Ms. Nesta Archeron ran in at 8:38 AM looking frantic and flustered, her hair down in a mess of frizz and tangles. Cassian was somewhat shocked, for he had never seen Ms. Archeron like this. "Can I help you, miss?"

"Huh?" She said as if he had caught her off guard. "Oh, yes. The-the usual, please."

"Coming right..." Cassian's voice drifted as he saw the empty pan of where the red velvets were supposed to be. "We're out of red velvets, but I can quickly whip up a batch for you?"

She ran a hand through her long locks hair and nervously nodded. "I can help."

"Oh, miss, you don't have to-"

"Doesn't matter," She quickly dismissed him as she swiftly slipped on some of the sanitary gloves. "My sisters say I'm an exceptional baker, anyways."

Cassian knew he was probably breaking many healthy and safety rules, but he was so stunned by Ms. Archeron's odd behavior that he completely ignored the fact that he could get fired for this. They rushed into the backroom where the true magic of the bakery happened.

"Could you grab the flour and sugar from the cabinet over there for me please?" Cassian asked, but Nesta had already grabbed the flour and sugar along with the other needed ingredients. "Oh, never mind."

Cassian measured and poured the ingredients into a mixing bowl and began to stir them up while Nesta set the oven to preheat. They filled the cupcake trays evenly and quickly shoved the tray into the oven. When they were done, they had a shared sigh of relief before commencing into an tense silence.

"So how long have you been working here?" Nesta asked, trying to make the current situation less awkward.

"Well, I opened the bakery about four years ago. I had previously been friends with the strip mall's landlord, Rhysand, before I opened the place. One night I brought up the topic of opening my own establishment, and he offered me a pretty good deal for this unit that I couldn't refuse."

"Hm." Nesta raised her eyebrows in amusement, "But I don't understand how such a big, muscly guy like you is a baker and not in the WWE."

Cassian chuckled and smirked at her, "Baking is my job, and trust me when I say I do enjoy it and I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world, but I practice fighting as a hobby."

"What kind of fighting?"

Cassian paused to check the oven and turned back to Nesta, "Just general mixed martial arts. My buddy Azriel got me into it when I was a teen."

"Interesting," Nesta said simply. The room was silent again, more comfortable than before, the only sound being the faint humming of the oven. Nesta turned suddenly, grabbing random ingredients from the cabinets. Cassian was ready to ask her what she was doing when he realized she was preparing to make the frosting. Finally, Cassian asked the question that had been burning on his mind for a while.

"Nesta- may I call you Nesta?" He inquired with no intention of being rude.

She raised her eyebrows at him quizzically. "I don't see why not."

Cassian smirked and raised his eyebrows back at her. "Nesta, if you know how to bake red velvet cupcakes, why do you come in here every morning?"

The smile had vanished from her face and a nervous frown replaced it. "Well, to put it bluntly, it's my excuse to come see you every morning."

Cassian smirk only grew at her answer. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Nesta sighed.

Cassian leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his apron. "May I ask why?"

"Well, I quite fancy you," Nesta's voice became quieter, "And I'm sorry if that made you feel weird and I totally understand if you don't feel the same way-"

"Nesta," He interrupted her and lifted her hand to his lips, placing a delicate kiss on the back of it. "I fancy you, too."

Nesta, who was a bit in shock, bit her lip and blushed. She did not advert her gaze from his. "So, how about we get started on the icing?"

Nesta let out a giggle, so unlike her. “I’d like that, Cassian.”


	2. Icing On The Cake

**Four Years Later**

Ever since Cassian sold the bakery and moved in with Nesta, her kitchen was almost never absent of someone baking. Their penthouse had a huge kitchen and it was both Nesta and Cassian's dream come true. They baked everything, from cookies and cakes to root beer floats and banana sundaes. There was never a moment when the oven wasn't on high and there wasn't some sort of sweet smell coming from the kitchen.

It had been a long day at work and Nesta had stopped by the store to get a few things before coming home, meaning she got home later than usual. She stepped off the elevator on the top floor and inhaled the sweet aroma coming from their penthouse. The scent only got stronger when she unlocked the door and pushed it open, and she could automatically tell it was the smell of freshly baked sugar cookies. She set her purse and keys down on their coffee table and headed for the kitchen, where she usually found her fiancé these days. "I'm home!"

She was about to walk through the kitchen door but he beat her to it, leaning against the door hinge with a spatula in his hand. "Hello," He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, then turned back to whatever he was doing, or baking. "Could you do a favor for me?"

She walked in after he went back to baking and hoisted herself up on one of the empty countertops. "Yeah, sure." She gazed at the back of her soon-to-be husband, his dark hair had been tied up in a bun and he wore a dark blue apron that read Kiss the Cook. She also appreciated the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Cassian turned suddenly and tossed a frosting bottle to her, which she fumbled to catch. "Frost that cake over there please." He pointed at a one-layer yellow cake that had finished cooling on the baking rack.

Nesta sighed contently and scooted over towards the cake. She began to frost it, moving slowly, and making it look pretty with swirling lines and flowery patterns. The frosting soon ran out and she hopped off the counter to get a new bottle. She turned around and ran into Cassian, who was carrying a tray of cookies to the baking rack. The tray burned her hand, and in reaction, she somehow managed to get whatever frosting that was left in the bottle on his face. She grimaced and bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. "I'm so sorry, Cassian! I-"

"It's okay, Nesta." He said with a smirk. He wiped some frosting off his cheek with his thumb and stuck it in his mouth, which made Nesta blush. "I'm going to go wash up."

He set the tray on the rack and went to the kitchen sink. Nesta sighed and turned back to the half-frosted cake, caught up in her thoughts. Oh wait, I need a new bottle of frosting. I'm an idiot.

She reached over for a bottle of frosting, but there was none left. I swear there were two more bottles...

Nesta felt a rough tap on her shoulder and turned to see her fiancé, two bottles of frosting in hand. "Cass?"

Cassian walked over to her and handed her the purple frosting bottle. He then put a dot of blue frosting on her nose and kissed it off. "Don't think you're going to get away with what you've done that easily, Nesta Archeron."

She smirked, accepting the challenge. "It's on."

They began flinging little bits of frosting off their fingers, goops of leftover cake batter, and giggling like children. 

“Nesta...” Cassian growled.

“Oops.” Nesta sniggered, “To be fair, you started this whole mess.”

Cassian stalked toward her slowly, like a predator assessing its prey. Nesta put on her most innocent look. Cassian looked her up and down, and a sound almost like purring echoed from his throat as he pulled her into a heated kiss.

Nesta responded instantly, loving the feel of his lips and body pressed against hers. She deepened the kiss, and she felt Cassian’s hands lift from her waist. They never returned, and Nesta was about to pull away-

Cake-battered hands suddenly ran through Nesta’s hair, making her hair sticky and clump together. A noise of disgust rang through her. She could only watch in shock as Cassian laughed and bounded out of the room.

“Cassian, I’m gonna kill you!” Nesta seethed our, which was only followed with more laughter. Nesta wasn’t going to kill him, not yet at least. They still had a wedding to attend.

* * *

Hours later, they sat on the kitchen floor eating cookies and frosting. The kitchen was a mess from out frosting battle and Nesta was pretty sure Cassian was trying to stall her from making them clean it up. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and sighed. He kissed her hair and she closed my eyes. She loved moments like these, where they were together, having fun like they used to, except they were in their own kitchen instead of that cramped bakery backroom.

_Oh, I completely forgot about frosting the cake!_ Nesta thought suddenly, Oh well, all the frosting was gone now and there would be no point anyway. She stood up and grabbed the tray. "Want some cake?"

Cassian looked up at her lovingly. "Do we have any frosting left?"

Nesta laughed as her eyes took a quick sweep around the kitchen, "Unless you count those globs dripping down the cabinet door, then no, we don't." She sat back down on the kitchen floor with the cake and pulled out a full bottle of frosting that she had been hiding and squirted it in Cassian's face. "Sike!"

He laughed and grabbed for her playfully. "Oh, I'll get you for that Nesta Archeron!"


End file.
